Natasha Malinsky

Expert-Guided Prom Shopping in New York City

If you know a young lady who deserves the very best for this year's prom, ShopNYC Tours has created a specialized prom shopping experience for her which is budget-conscious, fun and guided by a New York City shopping expert, Natasha Malinsky. Here's more about what the tours include:

Watch videos highlighting the hottest prom trends for 2010
Visit a variety of boutiques that carry Contemporary Prom Dresses, Vintage Prom Dresses and Celebrity Consignment Prom Dresses
Enjoy spot-to-spot transportation while sipping "teeny" (alcohol-free) cosmos and enjoying world-famous cupcakes
Sightsee some of the hippest NYC neighborhoods with a savvy tour guide
Get a prom make-up tutorial at Makeup Forever with a professional make-up artist

Natasha was kind enough to answer a few questions for us about shopping tours and how she stays in touch with what's cool for school:

Luxist: What inspired you to create a prom shopping tour?

Natasha Malinsky: Our Teen Fashion Tour is extremely popular and a lot of the people interested in that tour started to inquire about prom shopping in NYC. I thought it would be cool to not only offer a tour for prom dress shopping, but for everything prom including dresses, accessories, and even makeup. Shopping for prom in NYC gives teens the opportunity to stand out and have something unique that no one else will have, which is really exciting to them.

L: What kind of girl is this for?

NM: I'm hoping to attract a wide range of teens -- everyone from NYC locals to domestic tourists. And since the tour is so diverse, covering everything from contemporary prom to vintage prom to consignment prom, there will be an opportunity for everyone to find something that fits their own style and, more importantly, budget.

L: How do you keep up with teen fashion trends?

NM: Teens look up to a lot of celebrities, so it's important to keep the red carpet in mind when researching teen trends. It's also important to keep the youth factor in mind. Teen fashion should be young, fun and affordable. The runway shows can be an inspiration for teens, but often times, ready-to-wear is too sophisticated and definitely too expensive. Fashion magazines like Teen Vogue and shows like "Gossip Girl" are great sources for teen fashion trends along with shows like Extra and Access Hollywood. Oh -- and giving Teen Fashion Tours helps me to stay on top of what teens want to wear.

Where was Natasha when we were in high school? (We mean that figuratively ... she was in high school.)

If you'd like to send a teen on the prom shopping experience of a lifetime, the cost is just $59 for groups of 10 or more, and $99 for smaller or private tours. Visit ShopNYC Tours or call 1-800-619-2795 for more information or to book.

Tags: Natasha Malinsky, NatashaMalinsky, New York, New York City, NewYork, NewYorkCity, NY, NYC, Prom, ShopNYC Tours, ShopnycTours, Shopping, teens